


Recent Acquisition

by EntreNous



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, M/M, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-27
Updated: 2006-04-27
Packaged: 2017-12-08 17:40:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/764158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntreNous/pseuds/EntreNous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike steals a laptop, and finds a corner of the internet devoted to demons interested in purchasing humans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recent Acquisition

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as the start of a round-robin, but this part unfortunately remained a stand-alone.
> 
> Please note I've tagged this story "Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued". I'm including it with my other archived items on AO3 in part for completion's sake, and in part because if anyone is hoping to find a fic with these characters and this set of tropes, well, here it is, unfinished though it may be. Thank you.

Spike had owned the laptop -- well, okay, _stolen_ the laptop -- for over two weeks now.

He’d lifted it off a group of college students at the Bronze who’d stiffed him the money they owed him. Granted, they owed him the dosh for a game of pool that he’d tricked them into, but fair was fair. They bet the money, and he’d beaten them (after of course losing the first three times before asking if they wanted to make it “interesting”). Still, they’d refused to ante up, and much as it burned Spike, he couldn’t tear them all limb from limb while he feasted on their life’s blood. So he had to settle for nicking their things, and making off with three messenger-bags worth of various trinkets and amounts of cash.

The laptop had been the best of the haul, and he’d first thought about selling it to a Vl’orkeck demon he’d met a few months back. But then he realized the computer had come with a wireless card, and had spent two days immersed in exploring the internet before he’d realized he was famished for some O pos.

After that, he remembered to go see the Slayer and her friends for the odd job to keep him in blood and beers. Wouldn’t do to find something really interesting online and then suddenly figure out that he was going to run out.

Buffy had remarked in a wary voice that he seemed less trouble lately. Willow had offered to be his partner on patrol two nights in a row, because instead of his usual search for a bit of fun tussle and kill, he’d been quick and efficient in the hunt, wanting to get back to his computer.

Because it wasn’t just the internet he’d discovered, oh no. It was the chatrooms and film clips, weblogs and webcams run by the demon community.

Talk about trading humans. Vampires writing with relish about the thrill of the kill. Short films of a brunette who reminded him of Dru riding a strapping man and then feeding on him to bring them both off.

It was frustrating and a fucking turn on, is what it was. But he couldn’t seem to stop reading and watching.

That night, he’d gotten finished with some research session at Giles’s apartment. He hadn’t bothered to lead Buffy and her gang around when they had asked him for information. He’d simply sat down and asked for the right texts before pointing the passages out to Rupert. Giles had thanked him with a startled air, Buffy narrowed her eyes at him, and Spike pocketed the payment before Willow and her girl offered to bake him cookies for saving them time.

As he strode back to the crypt, a funny thought occurred to him. Xander had been gone on some trip or other; something that was supposed to get him over his demon girl, who had taken her training at the Magic Shop and found herself a job somewhere on the east coast. Spike didn’t much care whether the boy was in town or not, but Xander was a good source of springing for drinks and food at the Bronze whenever Spike found him out for an evening alone. Xander had protested he was just trying to keep Spike from robbing unsuspecting patrons of Sunnydale. It may have been that, for all Spike knew.

He probably would have noticed sooner if it wasn’t for his recent acquisition. Right. He’d have to hurry along now if he wanted to see the webcast auction of humans. A quick stop in Willy’s the other night had given him the information about the sale and how it would be put online for buyers and gawkers, and now he was looking forward to watching the show.

“Got everything, then,” he muttered to himself as he stopped by the crypt to grab the computer and then made his way over to the seedy motel on the outskirts of town. There was always a room or two empty, and Spike never bothered to pay. He just broke in, easy as you please, and set up shop with a microwave in the kitchenette to heat his blood, a WiFi connection throughout the place to get him online, and a six-pack or two to see him through the evening’s entertainment.

By the time he got to the site and went through the passwords and other security gateways designed to keep those not in the know out, the auction was already underway. He watched for a moment as the demon running the sale showcased a blond who seemed eager enough to be purchased by the highest bidder. Could be she was drugged; most of the ones for sale were, though there were always the ones here and there who had volunteered for the sale. Spike had no idea what would make someone do such a thing, but the bidding was just as high for those purchases as it was for other kinds. Of course it all depended on the assets for sale.

The connection wasn’t the best, but these things were so fly-by-night, not to mention heavily guarded, that Spike wasn’t surprised. It wouldn’t do for the demons or the wares to be easily identified if some human law enforcer actually stumbled onto the sale.

He glanced again at the blond, who was now giggling and rolling up her tight t-shirt to show off the wares. She reminded him a bit too much of Harmony, so after a quick look at the top half, he went about setting himself up for the night. When he had twisted the cap off his bottle of beer, set up his lighter and pack of cigarettes in easy reach, and heated himself some blood, they were done with a middle-aged man who had fetched only the lowest of price, and were about to move on to another lot.

“Young man, strong young man, good looking, very easy to train,” the demon announced. A brown-haired boy was shoved onto the scene, but instead of cowering or acting as though he was high, the prospective slave ran his fingers through his shaggy hair and grinned at the camera.

“Tell your name,” the demon advised.

“Mark,” the boy answered. He was wearing a white tank top and baggy khaki trousers, and he rolled his shoulders as though making himself more at ease.

“Very nice,” Spike said aloud. He couldn’t get a good look at the face yet, but the body was something to see. Part of the wait was due to the camera-man’s clear design to make sure that buyers saw some of the most appealing parts of the package. The lens lingered on sculpted but not overly pumped arms, on a thin strip of bare belly visible at the hem of the tank top, on the quick outline of firm legs against the fabric as the demon encouraged the boy to walk around.

“You show yourself for selling,” the demon said.

Mark laughed, as though this was what he’d been waiting to hear. “You can’t see enough?” he joked as the camera panned his bare arms again. “Yeah, okay.”

Pan down to the fly of his pants as the boy undid button and zipper to reveal plain white boxer-briefs.

“You ever been touched?” the demon asked in an abrupt voice. “Never, no.”

The camera flashed across the curve of Mark’s ass brought out by the clinging underwear. “By . . . I don’t know. I don’t _think_ so.”

“Never touched,” the demon said with assurance.

The camera swooped up to Mark’s face. He was looking down, half in shadow, but at that moment long lashes rose and he looked into the camera.

“Fuck,” Spike shouted, scrambling backwards. Xander. It was Xander on the screen, Xander for sale.

“I don’t think I've been touched,” Mark/Xander repeated in a soft voice. He looked at the camera and licked his lips. “Do you want to touch me?”


End file.
